Monday, November 29, 2010

Bjorn Lomborg's Book and Movie "Cool It"

Ondi Timoner teams up with author of 'The Skeptical Environmentalist' Bjorn Lomborg to discuss what's really at stake with climate change, and what's actually necessary to make true advances in the fight.

Bjorn Lomborg believes that many of the elaborate and expensive actions now being considered to stop global warming will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, are often based on emotional rather than strictly scientific assumptions, and may very well have little impact on the world's temperature for hundreds of years. Rather than starting with the most radical procedures, Lomborg argues that we should first focus our resources on more immediate concerns, such as fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS and assuring and maintaining a safe, fresh water supply-which can be addressed at a fraction of the cost and save millions of lives within our lifetime. He asks why the debate over climate change has stifled rational dialogue and killed meaningful dissent.

Lomborg presents us with a second generation of thinking on global warming that believes panic is neither warranted nor a constructive place from which to deal with any of humanity's problems, not just global warming. Cool It promises to be one of the most talked about and influential books of our time.

Saturday, November 20, 2010


Center's

25th

Anniversary

Welcome to the Center's New Hollywood Site

By Environment Man


Hollywood is to entertainment what politics is to Washington, D.C.  Politicians are entertainers too.  And entertainers want to make public policy.  So we will cover both and mix them up.  Cause they are mixed up sometimes.  Entertainment is also big business. Very big business.  We will also cover the business of Hollywood and the business of Capitol Hill, The White House and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Viacom, Fox, NBC Universal, Time Warner, Sony and Disney run most of planet Earth's entertainment ventures.  The Center, though a small outlet, is on the cutting edge of delivering political entertainment content.  The big might be big, but we can move faster than them.  Plus we have Alan Smithee on our side.

So sit back and enjoy our ride. And visit often.

Kid Rock: Born Free

By Holly Wood

Kid Rock kick off his "Born Free" tour in support of the album of the same name which hit stores this week.



The tour comes in the form of a 40th birthday party Kid Rock is throwing for himself with 60,000 of his closest friends, at Detroit's Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team. Kid Rock will be backed by his Twisted Brown Trucker Band. The nationwide tour ends March 12th in Memphis, Tennessee.

Kid Rock recently appeared at the European Music Awards in Madrid last week and the CMA Awards on November 10th. Kid Rock will appear on the live broadcast of the American Music Awards on Sunday, November 21st. A documentary titled "Kid Rock: Born Free" will start airing across MTV, Vh1, and CMT on November 16th.



Kid Rock's "Born Free Tour" 2011
w/ Very Special Guest Jamey Johnson

SAT 1/15/11 Detroit, MI Ford Field ( B-Day Show)
FRI 1/21/11 Saginaw, MI Dow Events Center
TUE 1/25/11 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel
WED 1/26/11 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
FRI 1/28/11 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
SAT 1/29/11 Dayton, OH Nutter Center
TUE 2/1/11 Wichita, KS Intrust Arena
TUE 2/8/11 Bossier City, LA CenturyTel Center
WED 2/9/11 Little Rock, AR Verizon Wireless Arena
FRI 2/11/10 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
SAT 2/12/11 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center
MON 2/14/11 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center
WED 2/16/11 N. Charleston, SC N. Charleston Coliseum
FRI 2/18/11 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
SAT 2/19/11 Birmingham, AL BJCC
TUE 2/22/11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
WED 2/23/11 Huntington, WV Big Sandy's
FRI 2/25/11 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
SAT 2/26/11 Chicago, IL United Center
MON 2/28/11 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic
TUE 3/1/11 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
FRI 3/4/11 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center
SAT 3/5/11 Orlando, FL UCF Arena
TUE 3/8/11 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock
WED 3/9/11 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
FRI 3/11/11 Jackson, MS Mississippi Coliseum
SAT 3/12/11 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
(AntiMusic, 11/17/2010)

Keri Hilson: Don't Hate Me Cause I'm Beautiful (Pretty Girl Rock)

By Susie Centsativ


Keri is interesting.  She calls herself tall and yellow in interviews.  And is proud of it.  She seems to be a combination of many singers.  Hmmmm.  Who comes to mind?  Katy Perry, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyounce, among others. No Boys Allowed” is slated for a December 2010 release and a video for the song was shot in Atlanta in September. The song is about that breaking point that every woman gets to when the excuses given by boys are no longer accepted.

Keri comments:

“ If you’re not man enough to step to the plate, then keep it moving.”

Friday, November 19, 2010

Dennis Miller: "The Big Speech"

By Korben Dallas
The Big Speech is Dennis Miller's first HBO standup special in four years.  It was great.  Classic Dennis.  Taped live at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California, Miller riffed on everything and everybody from President Obama to Monday Night Football.
He had Bill Maher's timeslot on Friday night at 10 p.m.  Miller is conservative to Maher's liberal.  Conservative gets bigger numbers than liberal on cable and radio.  Maybe HBO noticed.

Philippine Congressman Manny (Pac Man) Pacquaio

Manny (Pac Man) Pacquaio is the dominant fighter of his generation. He has won eight different titles in eight different weight classes, including his recent defeat of Antonio Margarito, who was five inches taller and 17 pounds heavier. Mr. Pacquiao's only unrealized goal is a date with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

The boxing world waits in anticipation of his signing a contract to fight against Mayweather, in what has been seen as the fight of the generation, between the world's two leading prize fighters. It is thought the super-fight could gross over $200 million, the most lucrative fight of all time.

Mr. Pacquiao is also serving as a Congressman in the Philippines. He took the oath of office in the capital of Sarangani province after winning by a landslide vote in the May 10 national elections. Mr Pacquiano was elected three years after failing to win a seat.

The 31-year-old fighter says he is committed to improving infrastructure, medical services and security during his three-year term in parliament. On the eve of the ceremony, Pacquiao defected to the Liberal Party of incoming President Benigno Aquino. (WSJ, 11/19/2010, The Telegraph, 6/28/2010)

NetCoalition

NetCoalition serves as the public policy voice for some of the world's most innovative Internet companies on the key legislative and administrative proposals affecting the online world. NetCoalition provides creative and effective solutions to the critical legal and technological issues facing the Internet.  By enabling industry leaders, policymakers, and the public to engage directly.  NetCoalition  has helped insure the integrity, usefulness, and continued expansion of this dynamic new medium.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

About EFF

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the a first line of defense when freedoms in the networked world come under attack. EFF was founded in 1990 and has championed the public interest in many battles affecting digital rights. From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering Americans as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers.

Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations. By mobilizing more than 61,000 concerned citizens through their Action Center, EFF beats back bad legislation. In addition to advising policymakers, EFF educates the press and public.

EFF is a donor-funded nonprofit and depends on your support to continue successfully defending your digital rights.

Senate Considers Anti Internet Counterfeiting and Theft Bill

By Alan Smithee

Patrick Leahy
The Senate is considering legislation to combat Internet counterfeiting that has pits Hollywood and television networks against Web giants Amazon, Google and Yahoo.  The legislation seeks to determine how law enforcement authorities should prevent digital theft. The bill, sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) with the backing of 17 senators, would allow law enforcement to take down the domain names of the most egregious copyright offenders.

The music, movie, television industries, U.S. Chamber, Hollywood and artists have supported the bill, believing that counterfeiting of their products will not stop unless there are stronger sanctions in place. Existing rules have done little to curb counterfeiting and piracy.

Internet networking engineers and privacy advocates are joined in opposing the measure by companies such as eBay, Amazon.com, Bloomberg, Google and Wikipedia. NetCoalition, a group that represents those Web firms, expressed concern that the Justice Department could go after infringing Web sites by forcing partners -- the order domain name system servers, financial transaction providers and advertising networks -- to discontinue services to the illegal site. The practice, "raises a host of questions that necessitate thorough review.  NetCoalition believes the courts are best suited to oversee the global Internet.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that helped organize an opposition letter by 89 engineers, objects to the bill because it requires a takedown of domain names by law enforcement without first getting a court order.  The also believe that by taking out entire domain names and making them vanish off the Internet, that domain name can have a huge amount of stuff on it that is non infringing and should be protected speech. (Wash Post, 11/18/2010)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Christina Aguilera Stars in "Burlesque"

By Holly Wood


Will the movie "Burlesque" be Christina Aguilera's "Purple Rain?"  The film opens this weekend and we will know soon.  She's had a rough year or two professionally and personally, but she appears to be one tough cookie. I just hope we don't get the usual rumors about some sort of romance with Environment Man.

Christina is a talent. A voice that would make Elvis Presley sit up straight and listen.  Pretty as a picture whether blond or brunette, Aguilera can stand next to Cher any day of the week. 

Good luck with the movie Chris.  And, ummm, give Eman a call.